Source: Special Correspondent in Bougainville

The debate on mining in Bougainville has been spewed out so much like a volcanic eruption with its dust and ash covering the minds of almost all Bougainvilleans who are aware of it. The reopening, bel kol, compensation and views from the Mekamui, ABG and other factions and individuals; it is a chaotic smear of conflicting views over a resource that has brought so much destruction both on human and environment.

Nevertheless, while the debate is still ongoing about Panguna’s future, Mother Nature has been painstakingly at work to restore herself. What can be seen now is 26 years of work thanks to the mine inactivity that vegetation slowly trying to restore itself. Though what is left of the environment is comparable to genocide, signs of life indicate a glim of hope for the once lush green vibrant ecosystem that was teeming with life. Without doubt, life is gradually being restored, but painfully slow for Mother Nature as conditions present is not conducive. 

Despite the settings, orchids of different colours cover the entire place where the once waste rock desert was, and provides a rather stunning scenery of purple, pink and blue carpet. The introduced Kumorere tree species can also be found growing almost everywhere. And buried several hundred metres beneath these piles of rubble rock is the former Dapera village, it is hard to imagine what went through the minds those back then, who could do nothing but stand and watch their homeland being covered by merciless man made monsters that worked 24 hours a day and seven days a week

The introduced Kumorere Tree Species

Down along the Tumpusiong valley runs the poisonous blue Kavarong River, this area took a real shelling during the mine operations, it was used as a rubbish dumpsite and mine waste outlet for BCL. Here, the water outlet tunneled from the mine pit is located, and up until now water keeps flowing out into the Kavarong. There is no life at all in the river, so much for the independent government inquiry in July 1988; which concluded that BCL “has done good work”. Despite these, the place too is showing retrieval as plants and trees begin to cover the barren rocky landscape. Again Mother Nature is at work trying to restore herself. Though it is impossible for nature to go back to how it once was before, at least resilience is show by nature as much as its people did for ten years in the crisis.

The dead Kavarong River

The question raised here is whether those in representation have any concern of the kind of conditions present in the mine site and also down the tailings along the Kavarong all the way down to the Jaba. The destruction is immense, it is environmental genocide. Who are we to put a price on what was given to us so freely? Why are we even thinking of reopening the mine? It is about time we Bougainvilleans have to wake up and see the reality that the environment needs our protection as much as we need her resources. Are we going to allow mother nature to bleed to death this time with the proposed reopening? Think about it!